Ship&#39;s hatch cover



S 13, 1938. JL TUTIN 2, 9, 1

SHIPS HATCH COVER Filed Feb. 16, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 13, 1938. J, TUTlN 2,129,973

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$7 JJHJeWfO Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES smrs HATCH COVER John Tutin, London, England Application February 1 6, 1937, Serial No. 126,066

In Great Britain February 22, 1936 3 Claims.

This invention relates to ships hatch covers.

Its principal object is to provide improved means whereby covers or cover-sections of considerable weight can be readily manipulated by hand power. More specifically, the object of the invention is to provide means enabling heavy covers or cover-sections to be lifted from the hatch, transported to a stowage space and rotated into an edge-upwards position for stowage when not in use and these operations to be performed in the reverse order all expeditiously and with a minimum of manual labour.

With these objects in view the invention provides the combination of a ships hatchway cover having at each of two opposite sides thereof, or of two opposite sides of each section of a sectional cover, a jack-connecting part, which jackconnecting parts are coaxially arranged and are disposed so that their axes lie at approximately the same level as the center of gravity of the cover or cover-section, and two travelling removable and portable lifting jacks (for example screw jacks) having lifting members and coverconnecting parts thereon for interengagement with the jack-connecting parts on the cover, or on all the cover-sections successively, the interengaging connecting parts being adapted to permit rotation of the cover, or cover-section, into an edge-upwards position about their common axis.

Preferably said interengaging connecting parts are in the form of lateral projections in the form of spindles on the cover, or cover-sections, and bearings or sockets on the lifting pillars of I the jacks but any other convenient construction may be employed. For example, there may be projections on said lifting pillars adapted to enter hearings or sockets on the cover or coversections. The said projections and bearings or sockets may be formed integrally with the parts by which they are carried, or be secured thereto (for example by welding) or they may be removably mounted thereon.

Two stowage rails are arranged each in spaced parallel relation with one of the track rails at the stowage space alongside which the track rails extend; the spindles, while situated in said bearings, have parts adapted to rest on and be supported by the stowage rails when the cover members have been transported by the lifting jacks along the track rails to the stowage space.

According to a feature of the invention, bulb coaming stiffeners are fixed to the sides of the hatchway coaming and are arranged so thatthe bulbous portions thereon constitute track rails for the lifting jacks.

' In the case of sectional covers, it is preferred to provide a gutter between adjacent cover-sections.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figures 1 and la show in side elevation a hatch with a sectional cover in position thereon,

' Figures 2 and 2a show a plan thereof,

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 33 of Figure 2 but drawn to a larger scale,

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 8,

Figure 5 is a side elevation drawn to a still larger scale showing one of the lifting jacks applied to a cover-section ready to lift the same,

Figure 6 is a side elevation showing the lifting jack and the cover-section in positions which they occupy when the latter has been carried to the stowage space and turned edge-upwards, and

Figure '7 is a detail view showing a modifica tion hereinafter referred to.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts. throughout.

On the drawings the invention is shown applied to a weather deck hatchway of a cargo tramp steamer, only so much of the deck l0 being shown as is necessary to illustrate the invention. The hatchway II is situated between a deckhouse I2 and a mast l3. Winches for manipulating the cargo are disposed between the mast and the hatch. The hatch coaming comprises side bulb plates 15 and end bulb plates I6. At a distance below the level of the top of the coaming sufiicient to permit the lifting jacks hereinafter described to be applied to the cover-sections, side bulb angle coaming stiffeners I! are provided. These stiffeners are arranged with the bulbous portions I8 upwards, see Figure 4, for a purpose to be later explained. A similar coaming stiffener I9 is provided along the forward end of the hatch coaming. Between the deckhouse l2 and the hatch is a stowage space in which the cover sections of the hatch are stowed edge-upwards when removed from the hatch. The side coaming stiffeners I! are continued past the hatch end adjacent the deckhouse for the extent of the stowage space 20 where each is surmounted by a plate structure 2i having a bulb plate top 22 constituting a stowage rail to support stowed cover-sections in the manner hereinafter explained. The hatch cover consists of a number of steel sections 23 to 29 inclusive placed athwartreplacing the cover-sections.

ships across the hatchway. The fore and aft widths of the cover-sections 23 to 28 are the same and the half-width of each of these sections is approximately equal to the height of the hatch coaming. The forward cover-section 29 is approximately half the fore and aft width of the other sections to facilitate its being turned edgeupwards in the minimum space available when the sections 23 to 28 have been stowed in the stowage space 20.

Each of the cover-sections is of hollow form and comprises a top plate 30, see Figures 3 and 4, and girder angles 3|, 32 and 33 to which the top plate is welded. The angles 3|, 32 lie longitudinally of the cover-section, i. e. across the hatch, and the angles 33 lie transversely of the cover-section, i. e. lengthwise of the hatch. .All these girder angles are disposed with one flange edge-upwards so as to permit the bottom faces of the other flanges to rest on rubber strips 34 which are interposed between the girder angles and the upper bulbous ends of the coaming plates IS, IS so as to provide a watertight joint. The cover-sections 23 to 28 are also provided each with an intermediate stifiening girder 35 disposed between and parallel to the girder angles 3!, 32. The girder angles 3| of the cover-sections 23 to 28 face inwards and the girder angles 32 of all the cover-sections face outwards. An edge bar 36 is weldled to the edge of the bottom limb of each of the girder angles 32 so as to provide a gutter 50 between it and the upstanding limb of the angle and a rubber sealing strip 37 secured to the edge bar 36 is provided between the latter and the adjacent girder angle 3| to provide a watertight joint between the adjacent cover-sections.

The cover-sections may be held in place by any suitable clamping or wedging devices which as they form no part of the present invention are not shown on the accompanying drawings.

Two travelling removable and portable lifting screw jacks one only of which is seen in Figures and 6, are provided for removing, stowing and Each cover-section has projecting laterally from each end a hollow spindle 38 supported by a bracket 39 on the girder angles 33. The spindles 38 of each cover-section are coaxial with one another and approximately in line with the centre of gravity of the coversection. The two lifting jacks are applied to these two spindles respectively and are in charge of two men, one on each side of the hatchway.

The lifting jacks are identical so that a description of one will suflice for both. Each jack is mounted upon a pair of wheels I39 adapted to travel along the tracks provided by the bulbous portions l8 of the side coaming stiffeners H. The jack body 40 is disposed between the wheels I39 and mounted therein is an externally screwthreaded lifting pillar 4| having at its upper end a hollow crutch 42 adapted to engage the corresponding spindle 38 of the cover-section to be manipulated. A screw clamp 43 is provided for securing the spindle and crutch together. The lifting pillar 4| is arranged to be raised and lowered by means of a hand wheel 44 which has fixed to its axle a bevel wheel 45, see Figure 5. Said bevel wheel meshes with a hollow bevel Wheel 46 which is constrained against movement in the direction of its axis. Said latter bevel wheel is rotatably mounted on the lifting pillar 4! so that by turning the hand wheel 44, the lifting pillar can be raised or lowered,

The operation of removing and stowing the hatch cover-sections is as follows:-The clamping or wedging devices, if provided, are first released and then the crutches 42 of the screw jacks are slipped on the spindles 38 of the cover section 23 and secured by the screw clamps 43. The cover-section is then raised from its seating on the hatch coaming by turning the jack hand wheel 44 of each jack. When the cover-section has been raised sufficiently, say about 2 inches from the top of the hatch coamings, the pair of jacks and the cover-section they jointly support 1 are rolled along the tracks Hi to a position beyond the hatch end over the stowage space 20. In this position the screw clamps 43 are freed and the cover-section is swung in the jacks through 90 to a vertical position. The cover-section is then lowered by turning the jack hand wheels 44 until its spindles 38 rest upon the bulb plate tops 22 of the plate structure 2| at the stowage space, as shown in chain lines in Figure 1, after which the jacks are removed and run back along the tracks l8 to handle successive covers in a similar way. In Figure 3 it is assumed that the cover-sections 23 to 2'! have been removed and stowed and one of the jacks is shown in dotted lines in position to raise and remove the next cover-section 28.

Should it be desired, for example during rainy weather, to uncover only a portion of a large hatchway, say the portion covered by the coversections 25 and 26, then the cover-sections 23 and 24 may be removed and stowed and cover-sections 25 and 26 be raised, transported and lowered into the positions formerly occupied by cover-sections 23 and 24.

In the modification shown in Figure 7, the top plates 30 of adjacent cover-sections are provided along adjacent longitudinal edges with depending flanges 41. Each of these flanges is welded to the inner face of one limb of an angle 48 which is so disposed that said limb will rest on the warm ing and the other limb 49 will lie adjacent the corresponding limb of the other angle. The rubber sealing strip 31 is secured to one of the adjacent angle limbs 49. The plate flanges 41 are welded to the angles 48 at such positions as to provide gutters 50 between them and the angle limbs 49. The angles 48 may be bulb angles as shown, or plain angles, or alternatively channels may be employed. In the latter case, the bottom of the channel will rest on the coaming and the gutter will be formed between the plate flange and one side of the channel.

In the construction described above, a stowage space 20 is provided at one end only of the hatch, There may be a stowage space at each end of the hatch to permit some of the cover-sections to be stowed at one end and others at the other end. Alternatively, when the cover-sections are disposed with their longitudinal edges fore and aft of the deck, provision may be made for stowing them at one or both sides of the hatch. In this case, the tracks for the lifting jacks will be provided at the ends of the hatch.

Further, the provision of a stowage space provided with supports, such as the aforesaid rails 22, for the spindles 38 of the cover-sections, is not essential to the invention. The said spindles may be used only for lifting andlowering the cover-sections and for moving them within the boundary of the hatchway, for example to a position whence they can be removed by a derrick for stowage flat on the deck.

Alternatively, the cover-sections may be turned edge-upwards in the jacks when removed to the stowage space and then be lowered in said jacks until the bottom edge rests on the deck, and then be tilted so that they lean against a support, for example the wall of the deck-house l2.

Any convenient means may be provided for preventing any substantial endwise and/or sidewise movement of the cover or cover-sections on the hatch due to pitching and/or rolling of the ship. For example there may be provided depending flanges on the cover or cover-sections arranged to lie inside the hatch coaming. In the construction shown on the drawings, flanges 5| are provided on the ends of the cover-sections for preventing endwise movement of the coversections individually, and a flange 52 is provided on the outer longitudinal side of the cover-sections 23 and 29 (only the flange 52 on the coversection 29 is shown on the drawings) for preventing fore and aft movement of the cover as a whole.

It will be evident that the invention provides means whereby heavy steel covers can be removed and replaced with ease and rapidity without the provision of derricks and winches.

In the appended claims the term cover member is intended to include both a one-piece cover for a smaller hatchway and any one of a number of independent cover-sections of a sectional cover which when arranged side by side constitute a cover for a larger hatchway.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for lifting ships hatchway cover members from the hatch and transporting them to a stowage space comprising a cover member,

two coaxial jack-connecting parts on opposite sides of the cover member, two travelling removable and portable lifting jacks each having two track wheels, a lifting pillar, and a cover-connecting part on the pillar adapted to engage a said jack-connecting part on the cover member, and two track rails lying at opposite sides of the hatch and extending alongside the stowage space, one track rail for each lifting jack, in combination with two stowage rails arranged each in spaced parallel relation with one of the track rails at the stowage space, which jack-connecting parts are constituted by spindles projecting laterally from the cover member, and which coverconnecting parts are constituted by bearings each for receiving a said spindle adapted to rotate therein, which spindles, while situated in said bearings, have parts adapted to rest on and be supported by said stowage rails.

2. Apparatus for lifting ships hatchway cover members as set forth in claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation of said spindles extends through the cover member and lies close to the center of gravity thereof, and each track rail is constituted by the bulbous portion of a bulb coaming stifiener fixed one at each side of the hatchway coaming and extending alongside the stowage space.

3. Apparatus for lifting ships hatchway cover members as set forth in claim 1, wherein the track rails are situated on the side of the hatchway coaming above the deck level, and the stowage rails lie a short distance above the level of the track rails.

JOHN TUTIN. 

